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第5章

the divine comedy(神曲)-第5章

小说: the divine comedy(神曲) 字数: 每页4000字

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  Athwart the tenebrous air pour down amain;
  Noisome the earth is; that receiveth this。

Cerberus; monster cruel and uncouth;
  With his three gullets like a dog is barking
  Over the people that are there submerged。

Red eyes he has; and unctuous beard and black;
  And belly large; and armed with claws his hands;
  He rends the spirits; flays; and quarters them。

Howl the rain maketh them like unto dogs;
  One side they make a shelter for the other;
  Oft turn themselves the wretched reprobates。

When Cerberus perceived us; the great worm!
   His mouths he opened; and displayed his tusks;
   Not a limb had he that was motionless。

And my Conductor; with his spans extended;
  Took of the earth; and with his fists well filled;
  He threw it into those rapacious gullets。

Such as that dog is; who by barking craves;
  And quiet grows soon as his food he gnaws;
  For to devour it he but thinks and struggles;

The like became those muzzles filth…begrimed
  Of Cerberus the demon; who so thunders
  Over the souls that they would fain be deaf。

We passed across the shadows; which subdues
  The heavy rain…storm; and we placed our feet
  Upon their vanity that person seems。

They all were lying prone upon the earth;
  Excepting one; who sat upright as soon
  As he beheld us passing on before him。

〃O thou that art conducted through this Hell;〃
  He said to me; 〃recall me; if thou canst;
  Thyself wast made before I was unmade。〃

And I to him: 〃The anguish which thou hast
  Perhaps doth draw thee out of my remembrance;
  So that it seems not I have ever seen thee。

But tell me who thou art; that in so doleful
  A place art put; and in such punishment;
  If some are greater; none is so displeasing。〃

And he to me: 〃Thy city; which is full
  Of envy so that now the sack runs over;
  Held me within it in the life serene。

You citizens were wont to call me Ciacco;
  For the pernicious sin of gluttony
  I; as thou seest; am battered by this rain。

And I; sad soul; am not the only one;
  For all these suffer the like penalty
  For the like sin;〃 and word no more spake he。

I answered him: 〃Ciacco; thy wretchedness
  Weighs on me so that it to weep invites me;
  But tell me; if thou knowest; to what shall come

The citizens of the divided city;
  If any there be just; and the occasion
  Tell me why so much discord has assailed it。〃

And he to me: 〃They; after long contention;
  Will come to bloodshed; and the rustic party
  Will drive the other out with much offence。

Then afterwards behoves it this one fall
  Within three suns; and rise again the other
  By force of him who now is on the coast。

High will it hold its forehead a long while;
  Keeping the other under heavy burdens;
  Howe'er it weeps thereat and is indignant。

The just are two; and are not understood there;
  Envy and Arrogance and Avarice
  Are the three sparks that have all hearts enkindled。〃

Here ended he his tearful utterance;
  And I to him: 〃I wish thee still to teach me;
  And make a gift to me of further speech。

Farinata and Tegghiaio; once so worthy;
  Jacopo Rusticucci; Arrigo; and Mosca;
  And others who on good deeds set their thoughts;

Say where they are; and cause that I may know them;
  For great desire constraineth me to learn
  If Heaven doth sweeten them; or Hell envenom。〃

And he: 〃They are among the blacker souls;
  A different sin downweighs them to the bottom;
  If thou so far descendest; thou canst see them。

But when thou art again in the sweet world;
  I pray thee to the mind of others bring me;

  No more I tell thee and no more I answer。〃

Then his straightforward eyes he turned askance;
  Eyed me a little; and then bowed his head;
  He fell therewith prone like the other blind。

And the Guide said to me: 〃He wakes no more
  This side the sound of the angelic trumpet;
  When shall approach the hostile Potentate;

Each one shall find again his dismal tomb;
  Shall reassume his flesh and his own figure;
  Shall hear what through eternity re…echoes。〃

So we passed onward o'er the filthy mixture
  Of shadows and of rain with footsteps slow;
  Touching a little on the future life。

Wherefore I said: 〃Master; these torments here;
  Will they increase after the mighty sentence;
  Or lesser be; or will they be as burning?〃

And he to me: 〃Return unto thy science;
  Which wills; that as the thing more perfect is;
  The more it feels of pleasure and of pain。

Albeit that this people maledict
  To true perfection never can attain;
  Hereafter more than now they look to be。〃

Round in a circle by that road we went;
  Speaking much more; which I do not repeat;
  We came unto the point where the descent is;

There we found Plutus the great enemy。



Inferno: Canto VII


〃Pape Satan; Pape Satan; Aleppe!〃
  Thus Plutus with his clucking voice began;
  And that benignant Sage; who all things knew;

Said; to encourage me: 〃Let not thy fear
  Harm thee; for any power that he may have
  Shall not prevent thy going down this crag。〃

Then he turned round unto that bloated lip;
  And said: 〃Be silent; thou accursed wolf;
  Consume within thyself with thine own rage。

Not causeless is this journey to the abyss;
  Thus is it willed on high; where Michael wrought
  Vengeance upon the proud adultery。〃

Even as the sails inflated by the wind
  Involved together fall when snaps the mast;
  So fell the cruel monster to the earth。

Thus we descended into the fourth chasm;
  Gaining still farther on the dolesome shore
  Which all the woe of the universe insacks。

Justice of God; ah! who heaps up so many
  New toils and sufferings as I beheld?
  And why doth our transgression waste us so?

As doth the billow there upon Charybdis;
  That breaks itself on that which it encounters;
  So here the folk must dance their roundelay。

Here saw I people; more than elsewhere; many;
  On one side and the other; with great howls;
  Rolling weights forward by main force of chest。

They clashed together; and then at that point
  Each one turned backward; rolling retrograde;
  Crying; 〃Why keepest?〃 and; 〃Why squanderest thou?〃

Thus they returned along the lurid circle
  On either hand unto the opposite point;
  Shouting their shameful metre evermore。

Then each; when he arrived there; wheeled about
  Through his half…circle to another joust;
  And I; who had my heart pierced as it were;

Exclaimed: 〃My Master; now declare to me
  What people these are; and if all were clerks;
  These shaven crowns upon the left of us。〃

And he to me: 〃All of them were asquint
  In intellect in the first life; so much
  That there with measure they no spending made。

Clearly enough their voices bark it forth;
  Whene'er they reach the two points of the circle;
  Where sunders them the opposite defect。

Clerks those were who no hairy covering
  Have on the head; and Popes and Cardinals;
  In whom doth Avarice practise its excess。〃

And I: 〃My Master; among such as these
  I ought forsooth to recognise some few;
  Who were infected with these maladies。〃

And he to me: 〃Vain thought thou entertainest;
  The undiscerning life which made them sordid
  Now makes them unto all discernment dim。

Forever shall they come to these two buttings;
  These from the sepulchre shall rise again
  With the fist closed; and these with tresses shorn。

Ill giving and ill keeping the fair world
  Have ta'en from them; and placed them in this scuffle;
  Whate'er it be; no words adorn I for it。

Now canst thou; Son; behold the transient farce
  Of goods that are committed unto Fortune;
  For which the human race each other buffet;

For all the gold that is beneath the moon;
  Or ever has been; of these weary souls
  Could never make a single one repose。〃

〃Master;〃 I said to him; 〃now tell me also
  What is this Fortune which thou speakest of;
  That has the world's goods so within its clutches?〃

And he to me: 〃O creatures imbecile;
  What ignorance is this which doth beset you?
  Now will I have thee learn my judgment of her。

He whose omniscience everything transcends
  The heavens created; and gave w

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